Golf Can Be Good For The Environment

A recent article in the Chicago Tribune (Brutal Chicago winter taking toll on golf courses - by Teddy Greenstein) talks about how poorly many country club greens fared during the harsh winter that is barely over. A local country club whose greens were the envy of much bigger & richer clubs may have to rebuild most of theirs.

Whether or not this damage could have been mitigated with the use of special covers or mulching is a moot point. What is clear that using bluegrass (poa annua) instead of bentgrass is asking for trouble.

I have been a prairie steward for the past seven years and have seen first hand the difference between the way indigenous plants, trees and shrubs and nonnative/exotics tolerate extreme heat and cold. The non-natives, specifically the ornamental varieties, don't do well.

When the goal is to rid a natural area of non-native species you want them to die. But when they make up your garden or golf course, their demise is both painful and expensive.

Cactus lined courses are helpful for keeping a golfer in the fairway and respectful of the surrounding environment. This guy had no business doing what he did and he got punished. In spades!

My friend, Bob Spletter, sent me this photo and accompanying text. He knows what it's like playing on desert courses. I'm sure there are equally funny photos of golfers in places they don't belong for reasons that truly defy rational thinking.

This happened on a desert golf course in the upper Scottsdale area.

Trying to hit the shot, [the golfer] fell backwards into the cactus. It took paramedics over 3 hours to pull cactus out before he could go in an ambulance to the hospital.

Today is Earth Day and we're all reminded of how and why we should be more environmentally conscious of our impact on the planet. Now there is hype and there is fact about what is truly good for the environment, so these are a few ways we can be good earth citizens while on the golf course:

Okay action: Ride an electric cart.
Better action: Walk with your clubs in a Bag Boy Express 3 Wheel Cart.
(We have plenty of them available for sale, with Free Shipping).

Okay action: Recycle your plastic water bottles when you leave the course.
Better action: Get a metal, lined water bottle and fill it as you go along. (Bottled water is rarely better than tap water, especially from the Great Lakes).

Other Tips:

--Repair your divots.
--Replace your divots.
--Stay on the cart paths.
--Car pool to league events; it only takes a phone call.
--Trade your clubs in before they become worthless.
--Keep headcovers on your woods during the round so they maintain some value.
--Don't litter; trash on the course or along the cart paths is low life.
--Keep your spikes clean and in good shape; the greens will thank you.
--Don't buy gear, clothing or accessories you won't use or don't need.

These tips are good for the game, good for the environment and good for the golfer.